Our team has been spending a lot of time in Shimo La Tewa. At the Bible Study that we have on Fridays the sweetest little boy caught my eye. His name was Franco. He was so sweet and had a huge smile on his face the whole time, but he looked so skinny and malnourished. We talked to the mother and saw that she had a little baby girl, named Rael, on her back who also didn’t look healthy. We asked the mother where they lived and told her that we could come visit them soon. 

Franco

On Monday we set off to find their home. They told us they lived at crossroads, which turned out to be very vague directions. We got to that point and started asking kids if they knew Franco and Rael, but nobody knew them. Then we saw sweet little Franco walking towards us. His mother was not around, but we asked him to show us where he lived so we could come back and talk to the mother a different day. We walked over towards his house and met his four sisters. It was interesting because two of them looked healthy and like they were getting enough food to eat. Then there’s Franco and his twin sisters, Rael and Rosie, who are three years old. Rosie was walking around wearing an outfit that was so tattered and torn. Her skin was covered with skin lice that comes from not being bathed and she also is malnourished. Rael can’t walk and is severely malnourished. 

Rael was not happy to pose for the camera

Rosie, Franco and Rael sitting right outside their home

We are going back to Shimo on Thursday to talk to the mother. It is an interesting situation because two of the kids look healthy and the other three do not. We are trying to find some sort solution, but its difficult. We have a supplement called Plumpy Nut that is meant to be given to people who are malnourished and after two weeks great improvements can be seen. The only problem is, if there is not going to be any change with the food situation in the home the Plumpy Nut is only a temporary solution. Keep Franco and his family in your prayers this week and pray that God will give us the knowledge to find a more permanent solution to the challenges they face. 

Jade and I with Franco